what this palace wants is release
by Waffles Of Doom
Summary: Clarke had really been looking forward to spending ten days with her best friends skiing, but that was before she knew Octavia's absolute pain in the ass of a brother was going to be tagging along - and that Octavia and Raven were going to spend half the holiday tangled up in their respective boyfriends. Even that would have been fine, really, if it wasn't for the snowstorm. [AU]
1. chapter one

**chapter one**

Clarke had been excited to go skiing, she really had. Octavia and Raven had spent months badgering her to go, the two girls relentless in their pursuit - Clarke had found brochures for skiing clothes in her handbag every single morning for a week once.

It had gotten to the point where she'd just agreed to get them off her back, but she had been excited about it for a while - ten days in the mountains with two of her best friends in the world, learning to ski and drinking beer and watching stupid movies.

It sounded like heaven to an overworked and overtired Clarke - they had all graduated from university a matter of months previously, and after the usual post-college dream crushing job hunt, Clarke had found herself working as a legal aid for a firm in the city. They worked her like a dog, but whatever, she enjoyed it. Clarke liked being busy, she always had, but even so, a break sounded great.

Until she had found out that both Octavia and Raven were bringing their _boyfriends_. Clarke was the single friend - she worked long hours, so she didn't exactly have time to date, and she had only ever dated casually in college. It had never bothered her, and even now it didn't. What bothered her was being the fifth wheel for ten days.

Lincoln was great, really. Octavia had been dating him for close to two years now, and he was a permanent fixture in their little apartment. He was fun, always brought takeout with him when he came over, and he loved Octavia to pieces.

Finn was a different story. It wasn't that he was a bad person, he was a good guy, but he and Clarke had a slight _run in_ in their junior year of college when he and Raven had been on a break, and when he had chosen Raven all over again, he'd kind of broken Clarke's heart.

Not that she would ever, _ever_ admit it.

She could have dealt with Finn being there though, it would have felt a little awkward and weird but she would have dealt with it in the end.

What Clarke was _not_ going to deal with was the giant lump of _stupid_ standing in the doorway of Octavia's grandmothers house in Aspen, blocking her way in.

Clarke _still_ couldn't believe Octavia had invited her idiot of a brother along.

"Princess. Glad you've left your castle for long enough to socialise with your subjects."

"Says the guy who owns a house in Aspen." Clarke snapped, her gaze cold.

"Don't your parents own a villa in France? On the other side of the world?"

"Bell, don't be an idiot." Octavia said, laughing as she pushed past Clarke to hug her brother. "How are you?"

"I'm good O, I'm really good." Bellamy said, hugging her tightly. "I'm excited to kick your ass this week though."

"Oh, you wish. I'd wipe the floor with you any day, we all know I'm better at skiing." Octavia replied. "Tell me you have milk in the house Bell, I would literally sell you for a cup of coffee right now, it is cold as balls."

"Side affect of snow O." Bellamy said, jerking his head towards the kitchen. "That really annoying Richardson kid dropped a cheesecake over earlier."

"Cheesecake? Hell yes." Octavia practically shoved her brother out of the way, dragging her bags behind her, dumping them in the entrance of the hallway.

Clarke didn't move, frozen on the doorstep in front of Bellamy.

"I'm not going to carry your bags for you princess, if thats what you're waiting for." He smirked.

"How about you just stay the hell out of my way this week and I wont try and kill you in your sleep?"

"I love it when you talk murder to me princess, its really sexy."

Rolling her eyes, Clarke huffed past him, heading into the house. She'd seen pictures of the place Octavia had shown her before the trip, but it was absolutely stunning - a vast expanse of wood and carpet, the whole place warm, and homely.

"Clarke, get your ass in here! You have to try this cheesecake."

"But what about all our stuff…."

"Clarke, you're on holiday." Raven said, grabbing her friend by the shoulders and guiding her into the bright, open plan kitchen, Octavia already sitting at the table, digging into a slice of cheesecake hungrily. "You don't need to stress about everything while we're here."

"Thats going to be hard with Bellamy here." Clarke mumbled, pulling her gloves off. There was a blazing fire going in the kitchen, and it was ridiculously warm.

"Just, pick a different mountain to ski on." Raven grinned, moving past to help herself to some cake.

"Thanks Ray." Clarke replied sarcastically. "So helpful."

"Don't be a downer Clarke, just eat some cake. You _love_ cheesecake." Octavia held the plate up, wriggling her eyebrows. "Its _cheesecake_ Clarke."

Clarke shrugged off her jacket, dumping it on the kitchen counter before joining her friends at the table. "What flavour?"

Octavia beamed. "Lemon."

"Give it here."

Octavia cut her a slice, giving her a grateful smile. "If you can bite your tongue for ten days and not hate my brother Clarke, I will make you breakfast in bed for a straight month when we get home. OK?"

"With bacon?"

"With all the bacon I can get my hands on."

"OK. You have a deal." Clarke grinned, taking a bite of the cake. "As long as you keep these cheesecakes coming."

"Careful princess, don't you know cake goes like, _straight _to your hips?" Bellamy smirked from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter.

Clarke twisted in her chair, her expression angry. "Whats that supposed to mean?"

"Come on, that was hilarious. That was my best Valley girl impression!"

"I'm from San Diego, asshole." Clarke snapped. "You might want to make sure you're not suffering from memory loss Blake, I hear its a side affect of being an idiot."

"Children, children!" Raven hollered. "Can we all act like adults for once?"

"Its not my fault - he clearly has a personality disorder."

Octavia sighed. "Am I going to have to keep you in separate rooms for this entire holiday?"

Bellamy smirked again (_she was going to wipe that _**_stupid _**_smirk off his face_), staring directly at Clarke. "We could totally share a room princess."

"Ew, no!"

"Sorry, I forgot you were saving yourself for marriage."

_That was it_.

Clarke scraped her chair back, glowering at Bellamy. "I hate you so much, you know that right?"

"And it wounds me to know it every single day princess." Bellamy clutched a hand to his chest dramatically.

Clarke rolled her eyes, looking at Octavia. "What room am I staying in?"

"Any room down on the next floor except for the three at the front."

"Thanks." Clarke stomped out of the kitchen, absolutely fuming. This was supposed to be her _holiday_, and they'd been there for all of five minutes before Bellamy had to start mouthing off.

He was _so _annoying.

Clarke dragged her suitcase up the stairs, her bag thudding loudly against each and every one of the steps as she did so.

_Stupid, arrogant, annoying, childish -_

"Clarke?"

"What?" Clarke snapped angrily, her eyes widening when she realised it was Finn, not Bellamy. "Sorry, I -"

"Thought I was Bellamy?" Finn finished for her. "Its fine Clarke. I was just going to see if you needed any help."

Clarke shook her head. "I'm good. Thanks though."

Finn nodded. "I was bringing me and Ray's stuff up anyway."

"Cool."

_Cool? There was actually something wrong with her._

"So, you excited to go skiing?"

"I've never been." Clarke admitted. "It should be interesting."

Finn nodded. "You'll love it. We always have a great time up here."

"Good to know." Clarke nodded, feeling desperately awkward and uncomfortable. "I'm going to go and unpack."

"Right. Me too." Finn nodded. "Its good to see you though Clarke. Raven says you're doing really well - with work."

"I'm taking the world of legal assistants by storm." Clarke said, smiling slightly. "You and Raven good?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah."

"Thats good."

"I'll uh - I'll go put our stuff away." Finn said, grabbing the handle of Raven's suitcase.

"I'll go claim my room." Clarke said, and turned away before Finn could add anything else to their intensely awkward conversation. It was nearly two years since everything had happened, but at times, it did feel a little raw to her - she had liked him a lot.

Shaking her head, Clarke headed to the nearest door, pushing it open. The house was really incredibly beautiful, and the queen sized bed in the middle of the room looked like heaven on Earth to Clarke's aching shoulders - she really hated flying, and the journey from New York to Colorado had cramped her neck up awfully.

Wheeling her suitcase into the room, Clarke kicked off her shoes, flopping back onto the pristine white covers.

"Oh my god." She found herself muttered, her eyes squeezing shut.

Her bed in New York was nowhere near as comfortable.

A sudden wave of tiredness hit her, and Clarke moved into a more comfortable position on the bed, her breathing slowing. A quick, five minute rest couldn't hurt - it might make facing Bellamy less of a chore.

She was just going to close her eyes for five minutes and then go get some more of that incredible cheesecake.

_Yeah._

_Five minutes._

"Princess! I know it might be tiring for you to have to carry your own bags around, but there was no need to take a three hour nap."

Clarke groaned loudly as Bellamy's obnoxious voice interrupted her peaceful rest. "Fuck off Bellamy."

"Nope. Octavia told me to wake you up because we're going for dinner."

Clarke sat up angrily as something hit her in the stomach hard. "Did you just through my coat at me?"

"Don't be such a baby, its a coat. I was going to throw a shoe."

"I wish you'd throw yourself off the balcony instead." Clarke muttered, running a hand through her messy hair.

Bellamy shook his head. "You'd miss me too much. I make your life a thousand percent more interesting."

"Yeah, Octavia's college drop out older brother who makes it his life's aim to give me a psychotic break is someone I would definitely miss." Clarke replied sarcastically. "Can you get out of my room so I can get ready?"

"Its OK, I don't have a foot fetish - I can wait for you to put your shoes on, it wont be weird."

Clarke barely held in a scream as she shoved her feet into her boots, grabbing her jacket and handbag. "Go. Move."

"Do you even know how bossy you are?"

Clarke ignored his comment, pushing past him into the hall, Octavia and Raven already in the hallway, talking excitedly.

"Clarke! I was wondering if you were ever going to join us." Octavia teased, linking their arms. "There's this amazing bar down the hill that does chicken wings to die for, you're going to love it."

"Can't wait!" Clarke smiled, forcing herself to relax. She was on holiday with Octavia and Raven, and she was going to damn well enjoy it. It's not like she was ever fifth wheel before, right?

_Wrong_.

Five hours later, Clarke found herself in the corner of a packed bar with only Bellamy for company. Apparently, since she wasn't going to be alone if they coupled up, Octavia and Raven had taken it as logical reasoning to do just that.

Octavia and Lincoln were in the middle of the dance floor, Octavia dancing wildly, Lincoln simply watching and smiling, occasionally spinning her around to keep her happy. Finn and Raven had somehow become the rowdy couple grinding on each other in the middle of a crowd, and Clarke suspected it was something to do with the six rounds of Boilermakers they'd downed after dinner.

Maybe.

"Want to dance?"

"I'd rather stick pins in my eyes, thanks."

Bellamy didn't look the slightest bit fazed. "I'm starting to think all this bickering is just pent up sexual attraction, princess."

Clarke snorted. "In your dreams."

"In _yours_."

"I need another drink." Clarke said, moving to get up.

"You're going to love me you know."

_Or, another twelve drinks. _

_And a _**_lobotomy_**_._

* * *

_author's note: based off a post janina (rebelleleader) made on tumblr, so all credit to her for the amazing idea. i'm just running with it and hoping it lives up to the original post! plus, the prospect of bickering bellamy and clarke stuck on holiday together was too much to refuse._


	2. chapter two

**chapter two**

"You don't look so great this morning."

Clarke looked up, her eyes bleary. "I felt I needed to drink my own body weight in alcohol to deal with being left alone with Bellamy."

"I just had to drink to block out the image of you and Finn _grinding_ last night. You know nobody wants to see that, right?" Octavia teased, setting a cup of coffee down in front of a grateful Clarke, sitting down at the kitchen table.

Raven laughed. "Finn and I are good right now, I'm not going to deny myself any of life's _pleasures_."

"Mm, so snow is an aphrodisiac for you guys?"

"Oh, shut up Octavia." Raven rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I'm not saying its a bad thing." Octavia shrugged, pulling her oversized jumper down over her knees. "I'm happy for you."

"Me too." Clarke croaked, feeling slightly more human now she had some coffee in her.

"Yeah?" Raven looked surprised.

"Yeah, I am." Clarke confirmed. "Ray, of _course _I'm happy for you! Both of you - you're in great relationships with great guys, I wouldn't be a good friend if I wasn't happy for you."

"Its just that…" Raven trailed off.

"We worry about you sometimes, Clarke." Octavia finished for her. "I know you don't need to be in a relationship, and its amazing you're so independent -"

"And successful!" Raven interjected.

"…But we don't want you to feel lonely, or like a fifth wheel with us. The three of us have been friends for way too long to let anything like that happen and damage our friendship or whatever."

Clarke took another sip of her coffee, the hot liquid burning her throat in a way she wasn't awake enough to acknowledge. "Guys, I'm fine - honestly. I'll meet someone when I meet someone, right?"

"Right!" Octavia nodded enthusiastically. "But you'd talk to us if you weren't OK, wouldn't you?"

"Of course."

"Good." Octavia beamed. "Now, how quickly can we all look alive and get out onto the slopes?"

"I need at least two more cups of coffee." Clarke replied, stifling a yawn.

"You are going to _love_ skiing Clarke, seriously." Octavia said excitedly, her eyes bright. "Its so much fun."

"Aprés ski isn't bad, either." Raven grinned. "Beer for lunch, its the life."

"I don't know if I can ever drink again after last night - I mean, who thought Boilermakers were a good idea? Its our first night!"

"You have to start how you mean to go on!"

"Ray, I don't think I could handle ten days of that."

"We wont be going out like that every night Clarke," Octavia shook her head. "I mean, I love a good party as much as any other girl, but theres nothing like a bottle of wine by the fire sometimes too."

"Your grandmother has amazing taste in wine."

Octavia nodded. "She does - she lives the kind of life I aspire to have at eighty five. Drinking good wine, going on holidays and having _plenty _of sex."

"Ew. Octavia."

"What? Its pretty amazing, she's in her late eighties and the woman has booty calls."

"How hasn't she put a hip out yet?" Raven teased.

"My grandmother is made of **steel.**" Octavia laughed. "Seriously, she is."

"As much as I love hearing about your grandmother's sex life, I'm going to go and get another cup of coffee." Clarke said, hauling herself out of her chair and padding across the kitchen to the delicious looking pot of coffee Octavia had left on the counter.

"Eat something too Clarke, you'll be starving once we're out on the slopes if you don't."

"Yes mom!" Clarke responded with a grin, opening the bread bin. "Oh, croissants!"

"You hangover-crave croissants?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

Clarke shook her head. "I would _love _a McDonalds breakfast, but I'm too hungover to make that trip - croissants are a settle."

"Don't make me want some McDonalds hash-browns Clarke, or so help me _God_ I will make you drive to the nearest McDonalds in your pyjamas right now." Raven said, her stomach rumbling loudly. "I'll take a croissant while you're over there."

"Wheres Lincoln?" Clarke inquired, grabbing the packet of croissants and tossing them on the table in front of Raven.

"He went for a walk."

"In the snow?"

"Lincoln _really _loves the outdoors, I don't question it anymore. As long as he doesn't wake me up at stupid o'clock when he gets up from a run, its fine." Octavia said.

"He goes that early?" Clarke said through a mouthful of pastry.

"Clarke, he gets up and bangs around the apartment at like five am most mornings he's there, how do you not hear him?"

Clarke's eyes widened. "I have honestly never heard anyone up that early in our apartment."

"Thats because you snore like a baby elephant princess, you'd sleep through a hurricane."

"And you would know that _how_?" Clarke snapped at him.

"My room is right next to yours." Bellamy shrugged. "Its not like this place is a bunker, you hear things."

"I do **not** snore!"

"I hate to say it Clarke, but you do." Octavia said. "Its not that bad though."

"Not that bad? It sounds like theres a four hundred pound wrestler with breathing difficulties sleeping next door to me!"

"Well, i'm sorry for interrupting your beauty sleep, _Bellamy, _God knows you need it."

"Ouch. Right where it hurts princess."

"I could punch you in the balls, if you'd prefer?"

"OK, I'm going to put a stop to this lovely conversation." Octavia interrupted, barely holding back an eye-roll. "I want to get out on the slopes!"

Raven yawned. "I'll go get dressed and see if Finn is dead or not."

"Lincoln should be back any minute." Octavia nodded, moving to stand up. "You OK to get ready Clarke?"

"Mm-hm." Clarke nodded, not trusting herself to speak without spewing chunks of food everywhere.

"I just want some coffee." Bellamy said.

Clarke yelped as he leaned over her, swooping in to take her mug. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Getting coffee." Bellamy said, as if it was obvious.

"Make your own, asshole!"

"But you took the last of it, and it takes way too long to make." Bellamy shrugged, taking a slug. "I didn't think you'd drink your coffee black princess."

"It figures you do."

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

"You're a heartless monster and I can only assume your soul is black _-_ like your _coffee _is."

"You're so funny princess."

"Hey, at least I didn't drop out of college to work at a theme park full time."

"That was **fun**!"

"Your ambition astounds me." Clarke replied, snatching her coffee out of Bellamy's hands, heading out of the kitchen.

"I'm just an astounding person princess!"

"An astoundingly _stupid_ person."

* * *

"You're doing really well Clarke!"

Clarke looked up at Octavia from her position on the floor, snow stuck to her ass and caught up in the bits of her hair that had escaped from the helmet she'd been forced to wear - thats what she got for having _zero _experience skiing.

"Thats an evil glare." Raven smirked, coming to an easy standstill next to Octavia.

"I have fallen at least one hundred times since we started - an hour ago."

"You'll get there Clarke." Octavia laughed, helping her up. "Make sure you clip the heel bind in properly, you'll kill yourself otherwise."

"How is this so hard?"

"Because its moving around in the snow on a pair of plastic skids, essentially. You'll get there." Raven said. "You'll be hitting the bigger slopes before the end of the week!"

"Still on the baby slopes princess?"

Clarke nearly fell over as as Bellamy brought his snowboard to a stop right in front of her, spraying her with snow, a wicked grin splashed across his face. "Was that really necessary?" She snapped, wiping snow away from her mouth.

"Of course. Thats why I did it." Bellamy replied. "Are you ever planning on actually skiing or do you enjoy sitting on your ass in the snow?"

"I am doing the best I can!" Clarke said through gritted teeth.

"Kind of looks to me like you're scared."

Clarke's head snapped up. "I am **not** scared."

"Yeah? Then prove it."

"Fine. Take me up to the next slope then."

"I don't know if this is a good idea Clarke, you've just started learning -" Octavia began.

"Or are you too scared that I'll beat you?" Clarke ignored Octavia.

Bellamy snorted. "You'd never beat me - not in a million years."

"Then why are you too chicken to give me a chance to try?"

"You lead the way, princess."

Clarke fixed her helmet, grabbing her ski poles and stomping towards the ski lift. Bellamy easily gliding behind her.

"Your technique is all wrong princess."

"My _walking_ technique?"

"Mm. You're a stomper."

"I'm imagining this snow is your face."

Bellamy grinned. "You know sarcasm is a way of covering up how scared you are?"

"Oh my god, its _skiing_, why would I be scared?" Clarke half heartedly contemplated stabbing Bellamy in the thigh with one of her ski poles and seeing if he fell down the hill. They were in the line for the ski lift, moving rapidly forward.

"You seem like a pretty scared person to me."

"You don't know me."

Bellamy shrugged. "I've known you for nearly five years."

"Known _of _me, that doesn't mean you actually know who I am." Clarke said as they clambered into the lift. "So don't tell me I'm scared. I'm not."

"I think you are, actually."

'Are you going to stop being a cryptic bastard and explain why you think I'm such a scared little girl?" Clarke asked, almost too frustrated to watch the beautiful scenery pass them by as they ascended.

_Almost._

It was too beautiful to not take notice of, even with the idiot sitting next -

"You stopped painting."

Clarke's breath hitched in her throat. "How do you know that?"

"Octavia told me."

"And what exactly did she say?"

"Just that you don't draw or paint anymore."

"And that makes me scared?"

"Mm." Bellamy nodded, jumping out of the now still ski lift. "I think it does. You're a better painter than you are a legal aid."

"Oh, fuck off."

"Make me." Bellamy grinned wickedly.

Clarke ignored him, looking down the rather steep incline, her heart pounding. She definitely didn't have the skills to make it down the hill, but if she backed out now…

"This was a stupid idea Clarke, lets go back down the lift."

It surprised her to hear Bellamy call her by her _actual _name.

"Why, are you scared?" Clarke said, and pushed off before he could respond. As soon as she started moving, Clarke knew it had been one of her worst ideas - she could _feel _that she wasn't clipped into the ski properly, her foot coming half loose in a matter of seconds.

"CLARKE! Jesus Christ, CLARKE SLOW DOWN FOR FUCKSSAKE!"

She _was _going too fast and gaining too much momentum. Regardless of how much she tried to keep herself upright, Clarke was falling in less than a minute, head over heels down the slope. Clarke scrambled to stop herself, her fingers grabbing uselessly at the snow, tumbling over and over.

"Clarke! Clarke, are you okay?"

"CLARKE!"

"Princess, that was a hell of a way to prove a point."

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with you in the afterlife." Clarke mumbled, curled up in a ball in the snow.

"You're not dead Clarke."

"BELLAMY BLAKE! If my best friend is dead because you decided to have a pissing contest, I will tear you limb from limb - I mean it!" Octavia roared, struggling towards them in the thick snow. She'd abandoned her ski's, trudging towards them in her boots, Raven and Lincoln not far behind her.

"She's fine Octavia, she just took a tumble."

"I feel broken." Clarke mumbled, opening one eye. Bellamy was sitting next to her in the snow, his snowboard still attached to his feet. The sun felt blinding, bouncing off the snow she was practically embedded in.

"Don't move her, the medics are on their way over, Finn's with them."

"Guys, she's fine -"

"Bellamy, she just rolled halfway down a mountain attached to a pair of ski's. I'm going to let the medics judge how fine she is - considering this is your fault, anyway." Octavia snapped. "Clarke, you okay hon? Does anything feel broken?"

"I think I'm just bashed up O, I don't need to go to hospital -"

"Its safer, you might have hit your head."

Clarke didn't have the energy to protest as she was bundled onto a stretcher, closing her eyes in an attempt to block out the blinding light and noise as she was moved to a waiting ambulance.

_At least it was a break from falling on her ass…._

* * *

"Octavia, I am fine! Seriously, let me go and get my gear, I want to go skiing with you." Clarke protested pitifully from where she'd been ordered to stay on the couch.

"Nope. You fell down a mountain yesterday Clarke."

"It was a _small _mountain."

"Still a mountain. You're staying here and resting today, okay?"

"I'm going to be so _bored_."

"That's why Bellamy is staying with you! Its his fault you fell anyway, so he's going to stay here, wait on you hand and foot and keep you company."

"I'd rather stay on my own."

"Someone needs to take care of you Clarke." Octavia said. "Anyway, we won't be late - Lincoln is cooking dinner tonight, so we're going to ski for a few hours and then go into town to do some shopping. We'll be back before you know it."

"Please don't make me stay inside with your brother all day."

"We can watch Legally Blonde and paint each others nails, princess." Bellamy grinned from where he was standing in the doorway. "And hey. I'm missing a day on the slopes because of you. I'm not exactly happy either!"

"Please, go snowboarding. Leave me alone."

"NO!" Octavia shoved Bellamy towards the couch. "Bell, you're going to take care of Clarke. Clarke, you're going to shut up, rest and let Bellamy make you coffee and bring you blankets. Got it?"

"I'm really fine."

"Great - after a days rest, you'll be amazing, and you can go back out skiing." Octavia said, kissing Clarke's forehead. "Love you."

"Love you too O…" Clarke sighed, watching as Octavia, and everyone else trekked out of the house, Finn throwing her an apologetic look she refused to acknowledge.

He wasn't exactly sorry enough to stay behind and not leave her alone with Bellamy, was he?

"So, princess," Bellamy said, putting his feet on the coffee table, his socks absolutely ridiculous and fluffy. "What are we watching?"

_My sanity crumble._

Clarke grabbed the remote from him. "Whatever I want to watch, asshole."

* * *

author's note - thanks a million for the feedback last chapter, it means the world! unfortunately the next update wont be so quick, but it'll be up before the end of the week. hope you enjoyed!


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